Hosiery measuring device



March 15, 1938. p, VERDER 2,110,895

HOS IERY MEA SURING DEVICE Filed Dec. 25. 1935 INVENTOR. 77em- #EAW/El? Patented Mar. 15, 1938v UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 10 Claims.

This invention relates to a device for determining the correct length of hosiery for wearers, and has for its objects the provision of a simple device for accurately and quickly determining, in ad, Y 5 Vance of a tting, the correct length, in inches or other arbitrary scale, of hose required for legs of various sizes.

Other objects and advantages will appear'in the following specification and drawing attached thereto. j

In the drawing,Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of one form of my device.

Fig; 2 is a front elevational view of the device of Fig. 1. n mi Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken along the line 3-3 of Fig. 1. p

Fig. 4 is a sectional View taken along the line 4 4 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a sectional view taken along the line 20' 5-5 of Fig. l showing a portion of a shoe and leg of a person in dotted line.

Fig. 6 is a side elevationalV view of another form of my invention showing a shoe and leg of a u person in dotted line.

` Fig. 7 is a plan view of the upper end of the device of Fig. 6.

Fig. 8 is a sectional view taken along the line 8-8 of Fig. 6.

- Fig. 9 is a sectional view taken along the line 30 9--9 of Fig. 6.

Fig. 10 is a fragmentary rear elevational View of the upper end of a portion of Fig. 1.

Fig. 11 is a fragmentary view of a portion of the device of Fig. 6 as seen` in elevation.

Fig. 12 is a `fragmentary view of a portion of the device of Fig. 6- as seen ink eleva-tion.

Fig. 13 is a fragmentary View of a portion of the device of Fig. 6 as seen in elevation.

Briey described, heretofore hosiery for: women 40 has been supplied according to the" size of the foot and in different lengths for each foot size. All stockings are more or less elastic, according to the type of weave and whether loosely or tightly woven. Also some manufacturers incorporate elastic thread into the stocking adjacent the upper end so as to permit elasticity between the less elastic lower portion andthe proper point of attachment of theu garter. Obviously, if Vthe Stockings are too long, they must be folded over 50 and the greater the strain on the lower less-elastic portion. If the stockings are took short, the strain is excessive due to the fact that the elastic gagement with the garters.

55 In view of the fact that a stocking when on the wearer willvary as to the height it reaches onV the leg in proportion tothe circumference of the calf, the problem of supplying a proper length stocking to a customer purchasing therstockings has not heretofore been solved insofar asjI am aware.' Obviously, it would be prohibitive to permit a customer to try on three or four different sizes before buying, even. if the customers were willing.

Il have discovered that there is a definite relation between any given stocking construction and the circumference of a wearers calf whereby it is possible to determine the degree to which such stocking will shorten in: height, when on the leg, below its normal length before fitting. The practical adaptation of this relationship to a scale device whereby the correct length of stocking is quickly determi-ned in advance of a tting for persons having calves of varying sizes comprises my invention.

"In detail, my device, as shown in Figs. 1 to 5 and 10, comprises an upright, dat-sided stick I of approximately 36 inches in length whereby it vvlLextend from about the iioor to appreciably above the knee of a wearer. A foot member 2 is secured to said stick at its lower end and projects at right angles from a side thereof, said member bein-g formed at 3 to snugly lit across and against the instep of a shoe 4 that is provided with a heel 5 without removing the shoe from the wearer and when the wearer is in standing position. See Fig. 5. i

Below the foot member 2 is a base 6 adapted to rest on the floor, and said base and foot member are connected'at their opposite ends by bolts or pins 1 for slidable movement of the foot member toward the base, and' coil springs 8 are interposed between the foot member and base normally tending to yieldably force the foot member and base apart to the limits of heads 9 of the bolts 1. These 'bolts are secured to the base at their lower ends and loosely pass through foot member 2 at their upper ends with the heads 9 on the bolts preventing separation of said member and base.,

The foregoing construction insures the foot member positively engaging against the instep of the shoe, below the wearers instep, irrespective of the height of the shoe heel while permitting the wearer to stand firmly and normally on the floor. f

The upright stick I is vertically grooved at I0 along opposite edges and a gauge II formed with ears I2 (Fig. 3) that engage in said grooves respectively is positioned onv the side of the stick from which the foot member 2 projects. Said gauge and ears are elongated vertically so as to provide a firm bearing surface on the stick and at the lower end of the gauge a horizontally disposed yoke I3 projects outwardly, which yoke is formed at its outer end to generally conform to the horizontal contour of the leg of a person at a point above the knee. A spring detent member I4 is carried on one side of the gauge and is normally adapted to frictionally engage an edge of the stick to hold the gauge in any adjusted position, said detent projecting outwardly of the side of the gauge at one end for pressing against a spring to release the detent from engagement with the stick.

On the side I' of the stick opposite said gauge the stick may be graduated in inches as indicated in Fig. 10, commencing from the upper surface of the foot member 2 at the point where the member engages the instep, and the inch marks being indicated with the regular indicia. On the opposite side of the stick from the'aforesaid grad-V uations, are three vertically extending scales I5,l I6, I1, of horizontal vertically spaced graduations I 3 shown in the drawing as spaced an inch apart, each scale' commencing at its lower end at the point opposite the twenty-one inch graduation on the inch scale or the equivalent distance from the foot member 2 in case the inch scale is not used.

' The Ascale I 5 is headed at its upper end with the gure 121/2 and the letter S thus designat ing the scalel as relating to a 121/2 inch calf or less, which is small in size. The scale I6 is headed 13 and M, indicating its reference to indicated by the wearer as being the length stocking desired. If the calf circumference is 13 inches or a fraction less than 1/2 inch more or less,

the scale I8 will indicate immediately a figure,

say 27, as shown in the drawing, indicating that in order for the stocking to reach that height when tted, a 27 inch length stocking will be necessary, although the actual length from the instep to said height is only 23 inches. Of course, this particular scale wouldbe for the particular type of stocking desired, and the indicia I8 would accordingly be modified as toiweave, etc., and the scale for another type-of stocking mightindicate 26 inches. But the relationship of a greater length than the actual'length from the instep to the desired `height would always exist. The inch scale on one side ofthe stick facilitates the use of the device for measuring the stocking to give the proper length.

In Fig. 6 I show another formA of device in which this upright stick is constructed of'two lengths or pieces of telescopic square tubing, in which an upper piece 20 telescopes intoV a lower piece 2l. Y The lower piece has a foot member 2,

formed to snugly engage across the instep of the shoe, secured rigidly to its lower end and extending laterally to one side with the outer end of the foot member turned up at 2| to insure proper positioning of the foot. The upper piece 2B is graduated on three sides, 22, 23, and 24,

with graduations corresponding to scales I5, I6,

I1, respectively, except that the scale is inverted and the numerals on each scale become greater in descending along the p-iece instead of becoming greater as the scales ascend.

At the upper end of piece 20 a yoke 25 is provided resembling yoke I3 but much closer to the stick so as to not interfere with the leg of the person being measured. Fig. 6 shows in dotted line, a leg L as seen from the rear, in position for measuring.

In the form of device shown in Fig. 6, the reading of the graduations on piece 20 is made at the upper end of the lower piece 2 I, and to facilitate the sliding of piece 2U relative to the piece 2I, a thumb screw 26 may be provided on the outer end of a stud bolt 21 that is secured at its inner end to the lower end of piece 25, said stud bolt being slidable in a vertical slot formed in the side of the piece 2l. Upon tightening the nut, the pieces 29, 2| will then be positively locked in any desired position. However, the frictional resistance between the two pieces 26 and 2l is ordinarily/found to be sufficient tosecure them against accidental movement relatively.

Enclosed within the lower end of piece 2| is a coil expansion spring 21 adapted to react between a pin or stop 28 at its upper end securedto'pi'ece 2| and the upper end of a square r'od or lpiece of square tubing 29 telescopically fitted within the lower end of said piece. Said square rod 29 is provided at its lower end with a'base plate' extending below foot member 2A for resting on the floor. It will be seen that upon the 'foot of the wearer being positioned over the foot member 2 as in Fig. 6 the foot member is free to be yieldably forced downward to accommodate any height of heel on the shoe,'and`the`foot member 2 will always snugly engage across the instep of the wearer. Since the foot member is fixed relative to the upper end of the outer telescopic tubing 2|, the reading at the upper end of said tubing will be uniform and correct at all times. If desired, of course, regular inchv graduations and indicia may be provided on the side of the telescopic tubing 2l] adjacent the leg of the wearer, whereby the scaleA can readily befused-to measure the length of the hose to correspond to the indicia on the other side or sides of tubing 2li.

It is, of course, manifest that a cushion of sponge rubber may be used in place of the springs 8 and 21 positioned below and secured to the foot members 2, 2, andthe ybase plates 6, 6 removed, but the springs are preferable. Also, instead of. telescopic tubing,v other telescopic forms may be used, or pieces sliding side by side in guides, but the square tubing is the preferred form. Other minor variations may also be made in lconstruction without departing materially from the invention, and the claims appendedY hereto are intended to cover such other forms as may come within the spirit of the invention.

In order to insure the rod 29 against separation vfrom the tubing 2 I I provide a slot 30 alongside the spring 21 in which a pin 3| secured to the upper end of rod 29 is adapted to slide. The

spring 2T will, of course, normally force the rod` 29'outwardly to the distance permitted by the lower end of slot 30.

Having describedmy invention, I claim:

1. A device for use in determining proper'hosiery lengths for a wearer comprising upper and lower vertically extending elongated strips secured together for sliding relatively in opposite vertical directions, the llower strip being provided jection, said lower projection formed to engage' across the instep of the shoer of the wearer land means below said lower projection arranged and adapted to react between the floor and said projection to yieldably urge said projection upwardly against the instep of the vshoe when the- 'shoeis on thel floor and the device isin operativeposii tion with the strips extending alongside the wearers leg.

2. Apparatus of the character described comprising an elongated device adapted to extend vertically alongside the leg of a person from the footfto a point above the knee, a member at the lower end of the device formed to engage below the instep of the foot, means at the upper end of the device vertically adjustable to various points of elevation above'the knee, scale indicia including graduations on said device indicating the degrees of modification in the length of a on the leg vrelative to the thickness of the leg upon movement of the adjustable means to various points of elevation above the knee, and a base at the lower end of the device yieldably supporting said member spaced above the floor whereby said member is yieldably urged upwardly at all times toward the instep of the foot.

3. Apparatus of the character described cornprising an elongated flat-sided member adapted to extend vertically alongside the leg of a person substantially from the foot to a point above the knee, means slidably mounted on said member for vertical movement and projecting laterally from a side of said member, scale indicia including lgraduations on one side of said device indicating the degrees of modification in the length of a stocking before and after the stocking is fitted on the leg relative to the thickness of the leg upon movement of the slidably mounted means to various degrees of elevation, means for positioning said device at its lower end in fixed relation to the foot of the person and means yieldably supporting said last mentioned means a distance above the floor.

4. Apparatus of the character described comprising an elongated flat-sided device adapted to extend vertically alongside the leg of a person substantially from the foot to a point above the knee, means slidably mounted on said member for vertical movement and projecting laterally from a side of said device, scale indicia including graduations on one side of said device indicating the degrees of modiiication in the length of a stocking before and after the stocking is fitted on the leg relative to the thickness of the leg upon movement of the slidably mounted means to various degrees of elevation, means for positioning said device at its lower end in fixed relation to the foot of the wearer, and said slidably mounted means being formed at its outer end to iit against the side of the leg of the person and to generally follow the cross sectional contour of the leg in shape.

5. A device for use in determining proper hosiery lengths for a wearer comprising upper and lower vertically extending elongated strips secured together for sliding relatively in opposite vertical directions, the lower strip being provided with a lateral projection at its lower end and the upper strip being provided with a member extending from a side thereof over said projection, said projection being formed to engage the instep of Ithe shoe of the .wearer and means below said projection arranged and adapted to react between the floor and said projection to yieldably urge said projection upwardly against the instep of the shoe vwhen the shoe is on the floor and the deviceis in operative position with the strips extending alongside the wearers leg, said stripsccmprising'itelesc'opic tubing with the upper strip sliding within the lower strip.

6. A 'devicefor use in determining proper hosiery lengths for-a wearer comprising upper and lower vertically extending elongated strips secured together` for sliding relatively inA opposite Vertical directions, the lower strip being provided with a lateral projection at its lower end and the upper strip being provided with a member extending from a side thereof over said projection, said projection being formed to engage the instep of the shoe of the wearer and means below said projection arranged and adapted to react between the floor and said projection to yieldably urge said projection upwardly against the instep of the shoe when the shoe is on the iioor and the device is in operative position with the strips extending alongside the wearers leg, said strips comprising telescopic tubing and said means including a base plate having a vertically extending member telescopically slidable within the lower end o-f said lower strip, a stop within said lower strip and a spring engaging between said strip and said member tending to urge the latter outwardly of the strip.

7. A device for determining proper hosiery lengths comprising a vertically extending element adapt-ed to extend alongside the leg of a wearer from the foot upwardly, a lateral projection at the lower end of said strip formed to engage the instep of the shoe of the wearer, a gauge member slidably mounted on said strip for sliding Vertically to various points of elevation above the wearers knee when said projection is engaged across the instep of the shoe, a base member below the projection at the lower end of said element and lower projection and means for tending to urge said projection and element upwardly when the base plate is on the floor.

8. Apparatus for use in determining hosiery sizes for legs of various thicknesses prior to iitting the hosiery on the legs comprising an elongated device adapted to be disposed vertically alongside the leg to be fitted with the lower end of the device in iixed position adjacent the foot of the leg, a plurality of rows of indicia in side by side relationship inscribed on the device with the rows extending longitudinally thereof, the indicia in the rows respectively being in terms of different sizes of hose, other indicia inscribed on the device in terms designating different leg thicknesses respectively disposed to identify the individual rows of indicia, said device including a member movable longitudinally therefore relative to the lower end thereof to various points of elevation along the leg above the knee thereof, means arranged and adapted to successively facilitate the reading of the indicia of the several rows at a reading point as said member is moved, the indicia at said reading point in any one of the several rows designating the correct size hose for terminating at its upper end at the elevation of said member after the hose is iitted on a leg the thickness of which is identified by the indicia that identifies the row in which the reading is taken as to leg thickness. A

9. In a construction as defined in claim 8, said elongated device comprising normally vertically disposed upper and lovver tubular elements telescopically slidable one within the other to various degrees of extension vertically, the rows of indicia being disposed one on each of the sides of the inner element that is received within the other, the indicia designating leg thicknesses being respectively disposed one on each of the sides of the device on which the rows are positioned, said member comprising a projection extending laterally from a side of the upper element, and said means comprising the end edge of theelemen't that slidably receives the inner element therein at the end thereof adapted to progressively uncover the sides of the inner element upon extending the device.

10. In a construction as dened in claim 8, means secured to the lower end of said device arranged and adapted to engage the foot of a person and to position the lower end of the device in fixed relation to a predetermined point on any sized and shaped foot.

PAUL VERDIER. 

